Overdue Update Part 4

Tired of hearing from me yet?

I wasn’t joking when I said I have a lot of updates.

In yesterday’s post I talked about my work on the second paddock. Did you notice anything peculiar in the photos? Something I haven’t mentioned up until now?

Check again Overdue Update Part 3

Okay…I’m make it easier for you…

See anything now?

There’s a little animal in there.

It’s not a stuffed animal.

Not a panda.

Oh. Right.

It’s a dog!

Just in time for Pet Appreciation Week!

I’ve delayed my announcing it until now because, quite frankly, we took him in as a trial to see if he would be a good fit in our household.

Bardi is an adorable 4-year old Icelandic Sheepdog. I met his family one day by chance at the feed store. I mentioned I was looking to adopt a dog soon and his mom mentioned they may be seeking a new home for one. I gave her my number and didn’t think much of it. A couple days later I received a phone call.

From what I understand there were four dogs in the home and all was well until recently when Bardi and one other dog began to fight…pretty violently. These dogs are friendly with everyone else, children, and other dogs. These two just couldn’t settle their differences…very likely two boys who wouldn’t back down. Bardi was very loved and the situation was (and still is I imagine) very difficult.

Not only did I love Bardi right away but I also felt for the owner’s situation. I can’t imagine being in such a tough spot. Animals become your children. They don’t choose to be with you; they rely on you to provide them with a safe, loving, and nurturing home. Giving up a family member is extremely heart-wrenching, and it’s clear it was not an easy decision for them.

Zac and I agreed to take on Bardi for a week or two with the possibility of fostering if we decided it wasn’t a permanent solution. We’ve lived in apartments until December so dogs simply weren’t a part of our home life. Zac’s never owned one. I had one in highschool until he adopted my mom while I was in college. Besides that I have petsat and loved all of my friends and families dogs (and there are a LOT). Dogs are not new for me, but he would be the first I’ve brought into my family as an adult.

The first day we had no sleep. We slept on the couch while Bardi whimpered all night. The second night we slept on the couch again but with less whining. The third night we made it to bed and got some real sleep.

The days were decent. We walked the property, walked the road, and he got familiar with the ATV we were borrowing. He’s a bundle of energy and loves to run.

From the beginning we could see how smart this dog was. Our adjustment period took quite a while though. We were both still torn after the first week so we continued to work things out.

On mothers day Zac brought mom over to meet the dog…and Bardi peed on his leg.

Even after this incident we still tried to get to know Bardi better. He was figuring us and our rules out just as we were figuring him out. It’s easy to take in any dog, but Zac and I wanted to be sure to find the right dog. As stated before, animals become family; come hell or high-water I will do whatever it takes to provide the right life for it. To take in the wrong dog will do it (and us) an unfair disservice. Making this decision was very important to us and we made it very seriously.

During our second week we came the the conclusion….

Bardi can join the fam.

I have been having so much fun getting to know and spoil this dog. He’s even enjoyed his own puppy sundae from the feed shop! For the most part he understands our rules, understands bedtime, and loves to be with us. Zac works days and I work nights so he sees someone almost all day every day. Our daily routine is out of the ordinary so I can’t blame Bardi for takings some time to get used to it; but he is adapting so well.

Bardi enjoys running all over our property. He loves helping out on the farm. I’ve been working on projects here and there so he sits in the shade to enjoy the day. As a breed Icelandic Sheepdogs keep an eye on the skies to ward off any birds of prey. He takes this job very seriously. There are a lot more traits about this breed that I’m learning, I plan to do a bit more research before I share more.

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He’s still unsure of how to deal with me riding the horses. Some days he doesn’t mind and others he’s not a fan. We’ll get there.

He’s great with walking and LOVES to go out.

He hates baths and water…and with tear apart the blow drier if given the opportunity.

We had a bonfire and heard some coyotes…he howled in response. We stopped him but it was the cutest howl we’ve ever heard.

…He also sometimes howls with ambulances.

I typically work the property with him on a horse sized lead line, and he’s happy to drag it along with us. He’s very good but I don’t quite trust him completely off leash. He almost always comes when called but I’m not willing to settle for almost.

We had some children visit and he was phenomenal with them.

We recently visited someone with an 8 month old German Shepard mix and he was also very good. They played beautifully.

The black cat isn’t quite sure about him, but she’ll come around.

20180520_001037 — Miss Shadow days “what the hell is this?!”

He would make an excellent therapy dog since he let’s me do anything. I also think he’d be great with agility. He has some A.D.D. but lately I’ve been snapping his attention back to me quicker and quicker. He’s a very good farm-dog so far, but still loves to cuddle…he sleeps very well these days!